Solar on T6 Beach

[VicC]

Hi All

This is my first post on the website, so please be gentle with me!
I've enjoyed reading many posts over the last 16 months of being a VW T6 Beach owner, which I, luckily, use for work most days.
Strongly considering solar panel from Solar Camper Solutions, 100w or 200w with uprated MPPT charger. Anyone have any feedback, either positive or negative? Many thanks all.

 

[WelshGas]

Hi All

This is my first post on the website, so please be gentle with me!
I've enjoyed reading many posts over the last 16 months of being a VW T6 Beach owner, which I, luckily, use for work most days.
Strongly considering solar panel from Solar Camper Solutions, 100w or 200w with uprated MPPT charger. Anyone have any feedback, either positive or negative? Many thanks all.

What's to say. I've had his system for 6 yrs. Fit & Forget, it just works. The fact he is a Forum member says it all for me.
When I change the van, his system will be my first purchase.

 

[EddieEagle]

Hi, welcome!
I have just added 100w panel and the Victron 75/15 regulator. From solar solutions, thumbs up .....
Theory being can add second panel if needed but am seeing good results already, even though not going anywhere yet to really test it out. Time will tell.

 

[VicC]

What's to say. I've had his system for 6 yrs. Fit & Forget, it just works. The fact he is a Forum member says it all for me.
When I change the van, his system will be my first purchase.

Thank you.
I thought so, from his email, but always good to check.

 

[VicC]

Hi, welcome!
I have just added 100w panel and the Victron 75/15 regulator. From solar solutions, thumbs up .....
Theory being can add second panel if needed but am seeing good results already, even though not going anywhere yet to really test it out. Time will tell.

Hi, thank you.
I liked the sample picture he sent me of the Epever MPPT charger and the extension display. I'll just press the button, seems like the people to deal with.
Cheers

 

[Nick.C]

Hi, welcome!
I have just added 100w panel and the Victron 75/15 regulator. From solar solutions, thumbs up .....
Theory being can add second panel if needed but am seeing good results already, even though not going anywhere yet to really test it out. Time will tell.

Just fitted the same. Only thing that I found a little tricky was fishing the cable through into the rear wardrobe. Otherwise really straightforward to install.

 

[LRGS253]

Roughly how much is it for the parts?

 

[WelshGas]

Roughly how much is it for the parts?

Solar Panels for VW California and Mercedes Marco Polo Camper Vans

DIY easy to install Solar panel kits for VW California / Transporter and Mercedes Marco Polo camper vans. Zero drilling or gluing.

www.solarcampersolutions.co.uk

 

[Nick.C]

Roughly how much is it for the parts?

The 100w panel with the Victron controller and curly cable was just north of £500 with delivery charge. Don’t forget to ask for the 5% members discount.

 

[Cloudbreak]

Have the 100w panel and the Victron controller from Roger which has the Bluetooth app to your smart phone. I even noticed the wattage increase on the app as we headed down hill into the sun the other day and reduce as we levelled off.

 

[LRGS253]

Is 100W adequate or is 200W a big advantage?

 

[bob_summers]

I’m thinking it will be the first thing I buy for my Ocean although it’s still a long way off.

Not an expert by any means but from the reading I’ve done on here, 200w is said to be better if you stay in the van over winter. Although I am fairly far south here (Spain north coast) I’m thinking that second panel would help out in winter when we’re in the Pyrenees a lot.

However, winter use is generally only weekends/long weekends - the batteries would be fully charged on the drive up, heavy heater and lighting use should still see the batteries last out, so not quite decided on that yet.

 

[Amarillo]

Is 100W adequate or is 200W a big advantage?

We had 200w fitted in April 2017. We used it extensively on a 375 day tour around Europe: 2 adults, 2 children.

The two big advantages with dual panels are:
1. Power in the winter months where you are hit with the triple whammy of shorter days, lower sun and more frequent cloud cover.
2. Power if one panel fails.

Note that 200w from 2 panels is the maximum. 150 is more likely in good conditions at midday. Significantly less at midday in winter or with cloud cover.

Go for two panels if you need reliable off grid power in winter or if a panel failure would be a serious inconvenience.

 

[WelshGas]

Is 100W adequate or is 200W a big advantage?

If you do extended camping in winter not using EHU then 200w probably more useful.

 

[WelshGas]

I’m thinking it will be the first thing I buy for my Ocean although it’s still a long way off.

Not an expert by any means but from the reading I’ve done on here, 200w is said to be better if you stay in the van over winter. Although I am fairly far south here (Spain north coast) I’m thinking that second panel would help out in winter when we’re in the Pyrenees a lot.

However, winter use is generally only weekends/long weekends - the batteries would be fully charged on the drive up, heavy heater and lighting use should still see the batteries last out, so not quite decided on that yet.

You could start with 100w and add a second panel if needed.

 

[Amarillo]

Just to add...

With 200w on the roof we didn’t hook up once between 15 June 2017 and 27 November 2017, camping every night except 4.

The panels powered the fridge and internal lights, they charged 2 phones and 2 iPads. They also boiled water in a 12 volt kettle three times, draining the leisure battery almost completely!